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April 9, 1968 H. SCHELLER ET AL 3,376,717

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QN @w @N @N Q S ai United States Patent O 3,376,717 CONNECTION BETWEENPLAIN AND RIBBED FABRICS Hans Scheller, Faurndau, Wurttembcrg, andJoachim Scheiler, Heiningen, Wurttemherg, Germany, assiguors to Gebr.Scheller Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH, Eislingen (Fils), Germany FiledJuly 27, 1965, Ser. No. 475,078 Claims priority, application Germany,July 28, 1964, Sch 35,541 Claims. (Cl. Gti-199) ABSTRACT 0F THEDISCLSURE A ribbed knitted fabric portion is connected with a plainknitted fabric portion by a transition course having a number of equallyspaced double loops so that the plain fabric portion has fewer walesthan the ribbed fabric portion. The number of double loops is selectedin accordance with the used yarn so that the plain and ribbed fabricportions have the same width in the direction of the courses.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to aconnection between ribbed and plain knitted fabrics, and moreparticularly to a method and apparatus for producing a plain knittedfabric having a marginal ribbed knitted fabric portion and to theproduced fabric.

It is known that a ribbed knitted fabric has `a smaller width than aplain knitted fabric having the same nurnber of wales. Consequently,when a ribbed fabric portion is directly knitted to a plain fabricportion, the plain fabric portion is wider than the ribbed fabricportion which is undesirable for garments, such as sweaters, andparticularly for sleeves.

Summary of the invention It is the object of the present invention toovercome this disadvantage of known knitted fabrics composed of a ribbedand of a plain fabric portion, and to provide a fabric of uniform widthconsisting of ribbed and plain fabric portions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method for knitting aplain fabric portion to a ribbed fabric portion in such a manner thatthe two fabric portions form a knitted fabric of uniform width.

Another object of the invention is to form uniformly spaced double loopsin the first row of a plain fabric knitted to the last row of a ribbedfabric so that the number of wales of the continued plain knitted fabricis smaller than the number of wales and loops of the ribbed fabric, thenumber of double loops being selected so that the plain and ribbedfabrics have the same width.

Another object of the invention is to provide a straight bar knittingmachine with apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to control the narrowing heads of aCotton type straight bar knitting machine by control means to formspaced double loops so that the number of wales and the width of theplain knitted fabric portion are reduced conforming to the width of theribbed fabric portion.

With these objects in view, the present invention is concerned with acomposite knitted fabric, with a method of making the same, and with animproved knitting machine for making a fabric in accordance with themethod of the invention.

A composite fabric according to the present invention comprises a ribbedfabric portion and a plain fabric por- Patented Apr'. 9, i968 tionknitted together, the plain -fabric portion having a smaller number ofwales than the ribbed fabric portion, and the ribbed and plain fabricportion being of equal width. ln order to reduce the number of loops ofthe plain fabric portion, double loops are formed spaced equal distancesfrom each other in a transition row between the plain and ribbed fabricportions which may be considered the last row of the ribbed fabricportion, or to be connected with the last row of the ribbed fabricportion.

Consequently, in accordance with the method of the invention, doubleloops are formed at equal distances along the first row of a ribbedfabric knitted to a plain fabric portion so that the width of the plainknitted fabric is the same as the width of the ribbed fabric portion.

An embodiment of the apparatus of the invention includes cam meanscontrolling the narrowing heads of a full fashioned straight barknitting machine of the cotton type in such a manner that loops arerepeatedly transferred in the same row of loops until a suflicientnumber of double loops is produced equally spaced from each otherwhereby the width of the plain fabric portion is reduced to such anextent as to be equal to the width of the ribbed fabric portion.

The straight -bar knitting machine on which the fabric is made inaccordance with the invention, is of the well known type in which twiceas many vertical needles than horizontal needles are used for making aribbed fabric. Loops are formed on every alternate vertical needle only,while the intermediate vertical needles are pressed and transfer theyarn to the respective horizontal needles, Whose number is half thenumber of all vertical needles and on which rib loops are formed. Duringthe knitting of the ribbed fabric, there is a phase when all loops areon the vertical needles, and in accordance with the invention, selectedloops are transferred in this phase to adjacent vertical needles to formdouble loops while all loops are on the vertical needles.

After a row of loops has been transferred from the horizontal needles ofthe knitting machine to the vertical needles, the narrowing heads, orother transfer means having transfer points, transfer Ia predeterminednumber of loops from a group of adjacent vertical needles one needledistance to a corresponding group of vertical needles so that a doubleloop is formed on one needle. Another group of loops is picked up by theshifted transfer means, including the dou-ble loop, and is shiftedanother needle distance so that the double loop is transferred anotherneedle distance, and a new double loop is formed. This operation iscontinued until uniformly spaced double loops are formed along theentire row of loops, preferably by simultaneous operation of twotransfer means moving in opposite directions toward, or away from eachother. As many transfer operations are required, as are double loopsnecessary to reduce the number of loops and wales of the plain fabricportion sufH- ciently to reduce the width of the plain fab-ric portionto correspond to the width of the ribbed fabric portion.

After each shifting of the transfer means, a greater number of loopsmust be picked up and transferred, so that a greater number of transferpoints is used for each successive transfer operation, if the transfermeans are shifted in the same direction to new groups of loops as theyare shifted one needle distance with a group of loops. On the otherhand, if the transfer means are shifted without loops in the oppositedirection than when shifted one needle distance with the loo-ps, thenumber of transfer points used during successive shifting operations isreduced.

The narrowing heads of the Cotton type knitting machines are operated toincrease or decrease the width of the fabric by increasing or reducingvthe number of loops rice in successive rows. In this operation, thenumber of loops in successive rows is reduced by no more than two loops.In contrast thereto, in accordance with the present invention, thenarrowing heads are used only in a transition row forming the last rowof the ribbed fabric portion, and the number of loops in this row issubstantially reduced by making a plurality of uniformly spaced doubleloops along the row.

The pair of narrowing heads provided in each section of a standardknitting machine may Ibe used in the apparatus of the invention incombination with particular cam control means, but it is necessary thatthe two narrowing heads extend almost along half the entire length ofthe row of vertical needles in the respective section of the knittingmachine, since otherwise a uniform distribution of the required numberof double loops over the length of the row of loops would not bepossible. If the narrowing heads are narrower, the double loops can onlybe distributed over parts of the row of loops which would render theplain fabric portion less uniform.

In one arrangement of the present invention, the two narrowing heads arein an initial position at the ends of the needle bar of the verticalneedles after the loops have been transferred from the horizontalneedles to the vertical needles. Moving toward each other, the narrowingheads, after transferring loops to adjacent needles for one needledistance, are shifted a predetermined number of needle distances to pickup the double loop formed by the previous one step motion. Thisoperation is repeated, until the narrowing heads arrive at the center ofthe row of vertical needles. After all double loops have been formed,the two narrowing heads have to be moved away from each other back tothe initial position so that the narrowing heads are in positionspermitting the conventional fashioning operation by increasing ordecreasing the number of loops in successive rows of the plain fabric.

In another arrangement of the invention, the narrowing heads start theoperation at the center of the row of needles spaced a number ofneedles, for example eight needles, from each other. Loops are picked upby the narrowing heads or transfer means and are transferred one steptoward the center to form double loops. Thereupon, the transfer meansare shifted a predetermined number of needle distances in outwarddirection, pick up a smaller number of loops than before, and shift thesame one needle distance toward the center. This operation is repeatedas often as required for making the corresponding number of double loopsby each transfer means. After all operations have been carried out andthe necessary number of double loops has been formed, the transfer meansor narrowing heads are in the initial position at the ends of the needlebar and ready for the conventional fashioning operations.

In this method of the present invention, the fashioning heads ortransfer means have to be moved in opposite directions since they moveinwardly for forming double loops, and outwardly for picking up a groupof loops. This requires an additional control mechanism.

For carrying out the method in which the transfer means moves inwardlytoward each other one step for forming double loops, and several stepsfor picking up new groups of loops, the movement of the transfer meansis controlled by a cam on the cam shaft of the machine. This control camhas two cam lugs of different height, the lower cam lug causing a onestep movement of the transfer means, and the higher cam lug causing amovement of the transfer means for several steps corresponding to agroup of needles.

Since the transfer means are used for standard fashioning operations, aswell as for the shifting operations of the invention, the cam followermeans which control the narrowing heads or transfer means selectivelycooperate with the control cam of the present invention, and with thestandard cam used in conventional machines for controlling thefashioning operations, The cams may be Cil shifted in axial direction,and locked while controlling either fashioning operations, or thetransfer operations aci with additional objects and advantages thereof,will be best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawingstherefore Brie]c description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a fragmentary planview illustrating a portion of a composite knitted fabric in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrated the formation of doubleloops in accordance with the method of the invention;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are fragmentary schematic elevations illustrating twodifferent operational positions of fashioning heads operated inaccordance with a first method of the invention;

FIGS. 2c and 2d are fragmentary schematic elevations illustrating twodifferent operational positions of fashioning heads operated inaccordance with a second method of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a Cottontype straight bar knitting machine providedl with the apparatus of theinvention, conventional parts being omitted for the sake` of simplicity,and a section being taken along line III-III in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating the` machine shown inFIG. 3, with conventional parts omitted for the sake of simplicity.

Description of preferred embodiments Referring first to FIG. l, acomposite knitted fabric according to the present invention comprises aribbed fabric portion R/ R and a plain fabric portion R/L. Only fourrows of the ribbed portion, andtwo rows of the plain.

fabric portion in the left part of the fabric are shown. The left end ofFIG. l is a selvedge, whereas the right end of FIG. l may be continuedin a manner not shown to the other selvedge of the composite fabric. Itwill be seen that the illustrated part of the fabric .has the same`width in the region of the ribbed fabric portion as in the region of theplain fabric portion although the loops of the plain fabric portion arewider and require more space. The width of the plain fabric portion isreduced by providing only eighteen loops and wales in this portion, ascompared with twenty-two single loops and wales in the ribbed portion.

In order to provide the transition from the greater number of loops tothe smaller number of loops, every fourth loop of the last row of theribbed fabric is a doube loop, four double loops A, B, C, D being shown,corresponding to the reduction of the twenty-two loops of the ribbedfabric to the eighteen loops and wales of the plain fabric.

The ribbed fabric portion has been formed in the usual manner by thecooperation of the vertical and horizontal needles of a straight barCotton type knitting machine, and a transition row and the first row ofthe plain fabric portion are formed when the loops of the ribbed fabricportion hang on the vertical needles. The double loops are formed of twoloops of the transition row and hang on the vertical needles until theyare knocked over together with the single loops of the same row over thenewly formed loops of the first row of the plain fabric. Consequently,the loops of the plain fabric are suspended on eighteen needles, whilethe loops of the ribbed fabric were suspended on twenty-two verticalneedles.

However, this ratio between the loops of the ribbed and plain fabric isgiven by way of example only, and

the number of loops and wales of the plain fabric portion must bereduced as compared with the number of loops of the ribbed fabricportion in such a ratio that the plain and ribbed fabric portions havethe same width, which depends on the material of the yarn and the needlepitch of the knitting machine. The number of double loops consequentlydepends on several factors, but it is possible to determine for eachcomposite fabric the required number of double loops for producing thedesired result, namely uniform width of a composite fabric includingplain and ribbed fabric portions.

Referring now to FIG. 2 which illustrates the manner in which a selectednumber of double loops are formed along the first row of the plainfabric, the four rows of the ribbed fabric portion R/R are firstknitted. When the loops of the fourth row were still suspended on thevertical needles l, of which twelve are shown in cross section, fourpoints of a transfer means, such as a narrowing head, had picked up thefirst four loops from the first four needles on the left, andtransferred them one needle distance so that the four loops weretransferred to the second to the fifth needle, forming a double loop onthe fifth needle. Thereupon, the transfer means was shifted and theloops of the second to ninth needles, including the double loop on thefifth needle, were picked up by eight transfer points, and transferred,as before, one needle distance from the left to the right so that theloops are now suspended on the third to tenth needle, as shown in FIG.2. The first double loop was transferred from the fth needle to thesixth needle, and a new double loop was formed on the tenth needle.Since the first loop was Vshifted twice the needle distance T, the twofirst needles on the left are now free. The operation is repeated untilevery fourth loop of the last row of the ribbed fabric is a double loop,as shown for the double loops A to D in FIG. l. The number of needledistances which the double loops are spaced from each other, correspondsto the number of needle distances through which the loops were shifted.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate one method for using the narrowing heads 22,22a of a full fashioned knitting machine as transfer means in accordancewith the invention. Each transfer means 22, 22a has twenty-one transferpoints 2l and is secured by brackets to a rod 23, or 24, respectively.These rods are controlled by means which will be described hereinafterwith reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 to perform stepwise movements togetherwith the transfer means 22, 22a from the ends of the needle bar 3 withthe vertical needles I toward the center of the needle bar. The transfermeans 22 22a are also operated to move up and down for picking up loopsfrom the vertical needles l, and to place the picked up loop again onother needles so that the loops are transferred. The apparatus by whichthese movements are accomplished will be described hereinafter, and ispartly also used during standard fashioning operations performed bytransfer means 22, 22a serving as narrowing heads.

The transfer points are first moved down to interlock with the needlesand to cause the needle beards to be pressed into the grooves of thepoints. This closes the needle beards and allows the points, which havepartly passed through the last knitted loops, to remove the loops fromthe needles. The transfer means are then raised a sufficient distance tocause the transfer points to clear the needle tips.

After the transfer means have been shifted, as will be explainedhereinafter, the transfer means are lowered, and the transfer pointstransfer the previously picked up loop back to the needles.

In the operation illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, live transfer points 2are located opposite the five first needles I at opposite ends of therow of needles. It is assumed that the needle bar carries seventy-sevenvertical needles on which seventy-seven loops of the first row of theplain knitted fabric are suspended. By operation of the transfer means22, 22a, the first live loops at either end of the needle row are pickedup, whereupon the transfer means 22, 22a are moved inwardly one stepcorresponding to one needle distance T, and then the five picked uploops are placed on the second to sixth needles at either end, forming adouble loop on the sixth needle.

Both transfer means 22, 22a are now shifted a distance b correspondingto four needle distances T. The transfer means are again lowered so thatthe first nine transfer points pick up the loops of the second to tenthneedles on either end, including the double loop on the sixth needles,whereupon the transfer means are shifted one step corresponding to theneedle distance T so that a new double loop is formed on the eleventhneedles, while the first transfer loops, respectively, are transferredfrom the sixth needles to the seventh needles counting inwardly from theends. The transfer means 22 and 22a are again shifted inwardly distancesc corresponding to four needle distances T, the corresponding loops arepicked up in a new position, and transferred one needle distance,forming third double loops on the sixteenth needles. The first formeddouble loops are now suspended on the eighth needles, and the secondformed double loops are now suspended on the twelfth needles.

Thereupon, the transfer means 22 and 22a are again inwardly shifted adistance d, pick up the corresponding loops, and transfer the same onestep to the next needles so that new double loops are formed, and thefirst formed double loops are transferred to the ninth needles. Theoperation is again repeated, and after the transfer means has beenshifted the distance e, and transferred the loops another step inwardly,the first formed double loops are located on the tenth needles in thepositions D1 and Dla, as shown in FIG. 2b. On either end of the needlebar 3, five double loops D1 to D5 and Dla to DSa are formed, and thefive first needles at either end of needle bar 3 are free of loops. Thedouble loops are respectively located on the tenth, fourteenth,eighteenth, twenty-second and twenty-sixth needle counted inwardly fromthe ends of the needle row. During the continuation of the knitting ofthe plain fabric portion R/L shown in FIG. l, the number of loops ineach row, and the number of corresponding wales, is reduced by ten, ascompared with the number of wales of the ribbed fabric portion R/R. Itis assumed that the thickness of the needles, the needle distances, andthe yarn used have such properties that the seventy-seven loops of theribbed fabric will have the same width as the sixty-seven loops of theplain knitted fabric so that the composite fabric has straight parallelselvedges.

In the method of the invention described with referen-ce to FIGS. 2a and2b, the transfer means 22, 22a start the operation at the outer ends ofthe row of needles and move stepwise inward performing alternately onestep for forming double loops, and a greater number of stepscorresponding to needle distances for spacing the double loops the samenumber of needles.

In the method illustrated in FIGS. 2c and 2d, the transfer means 21 and22a start the oepration in an initial position located inwardly of theends of the needle row, as shown in FIG. 2c, and end the operation in anouter farther spaced position located in the region of the ends of therow of needles. The one step transfer movement is carried out inwards,with the transfer rneans 22 and 22a moving toward each other, and theshifting movements of the transfer heads for several needle distancesare carried out in outward direction with the transfer means 22, 22amoving apart.

In the initial position shown in FIG. 2c, the twentyone transfer pointsof each transfer means 22, 22a are located opposite twenty-one needles1, the outermost transfer points being located opposite the sixthneedles from the ends of the row.

Transfer means 22, 22a are simultaneously operated so that the transferpoints of each transfer means 22, 22a pick up twenty-one loops. Thetransfer means are respectively moved one step toward each other so thatthe innerrnost transfer points produce double loops DD1 and DD1a.Thereupon, both transfer means are moved apart distances b correspondingto five needle distances, the next group of loops, which does notinclude the iirst formed double loops, is picked up and transferred onestep corresponding to one needle distance T in inward directions so thatthe second double loops DD2 and DDZa are formed spaced four needledistances T from the first formed double loops. The transfer means 22,22a are then shifted apart distances c, and operated to pick up newgroups of loops and to transfer them one needle distan-ce inward to formthe third double loops DD3 and DDSa. Finally, the tansfer means areshifted apart distances a, and then transfer a new group of loopsinwardly one step to form the last double loops DD4 and DD4a. The methoddescribed with reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b has the advantage that thetransfer means 22 and 22a move in the same direction during shifting andtransfer motions. Consequently, a lesser number of transfer points isrequired for each transfer means than in the method described withreference to FIGS. 2c and 2d. However, the method according to FIGS. 2cand 2d has the advantage that the transfer points are not used forpicking up double loops, as in the method described with reference toFIGS. 2a and 2b, but engage and transfer only single loops.

Referring now to the full fashioned knitting machine of the Cotton typeillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the general construction of this machineis well known, and certain conventional parts of the machine are omittedfor the sake of simplicity.

A needle bar 3 carries a row of vertical needles 1, and a needle bar 8carries a row of horizontal needles 2. The operation of the needle bar 8during the knitting of the ribbed fabric portion is no part of thepresent invention, and consequently the horizontal needles 2 and needlebar 8 are illustrated only in FIG. 3, and omitted in FIG. 4.

The up and down motion of needle bar 3 with needles 1 is effected by apair of arms 4 and 4a connected by pivots 5, 5a to needle bar 3 andixedly clamped to a needle bar shaft 6 which extends along the entirelength of 'the machine and is operated in the usual manner by cams to berocked for moving needle bar 3 up and down.

Needle bar 3 and needles 1 perform a composite moves ment including ahorizontal component which is required for the pressing of the needlebeards. The horizontal movement is produced by an arm 7 connected to camdriven levers, not shown, and turning with the needle bar about pivots5, 5a. Knock over means 9 are shown in FIG. 3 to be mounted in a knockover bar 10 which is movable in a composite movement including verticaland horizontal components. Bar 10 is pivotally -connected by pivots 12and 12a to a pair of levers 11 and 11a mounted on the knock over sha-ft311 which extends for the entire length of the machine. Shaft 311 isturned in the usual manner by cam controlled levers.

The knock over bar 10 is pivotally connected with a pair of levers 211,211e which are articulated to a pair of levers 111, 111e driven. 'torock about horizontal axis to cause knock over bar 10 to move in ahorizontal motion. These motions are produced by cams, not shown, in theusual manner.

Sinkers 13 and dividers 13a are -mounted in a support 14 forreciprocating horizontal movement. The front edge 15 of support 14 isused for pressing the beards of the vertical needles 1. A head portion16 closes the slots of support 14 in which the Sinkers and dividers aremounted. The sinker head 14, 16 is located under bar 18 which carriesthread guides 17. The means 4by which the sinker head and Sinkers areoperated are well known and not illustrated in the drawing.

Sinker head 14, 16 is mounted on a support 19 which extends for theentire length of the knitting machine, and is secured to severalvertical frame walls of which walls 20 and 20a are illustrated in FIG.4.

Full fashioned knitting machines of this type are provided withnarrowing apparatus in each section of the machine cooperating with therespective needle bar 3 and needles 1. Each narrowing apparatus includestwo narrowing heads or fingers 22,122a which are located at the ends ofthe needle bar 3 when not in use. Each narrowing head carries a row of:transfer points 21 which during the conventional operations of thenarrowing heads Y 22, 22a cooperate with the vertical needles 1 to pickup and transfer loops from the same lto adjacent needles. When the widthof lthe fabric has to be narrowed, the narrowing heads are operated to`transfer one or two loops inwardly from the outermost needles in eachsuccessive row, or in a number of rows spaced predetermined distanceswhereby the width of the fabric is gradually diminished whereby a fabriccontour is obtained in accordance with the requirements of a fashionedgarment.

movement with the transfer means 22, 22a parallel to l the needle bar 3and the row of needles 1. Bearings 30 are secured to a so-callednarrowing shaft 3]. which Vis mounted in arms 32 for turning movementand secured against movement in axial direction. As shown in FIG, 3,arms 32 are secured to a shaft 33 which is mounted in frame walls 20,20a for turning movement so that all arms 32 can turn about the axis ofshaft 33 for moving shaft 31, rods 23 and 24, and transfer means 22,;22aup and down. During the thus produced downward movement, the transferpoints 21 pass into the loops S on needles 1, and during the upwardmovement of the transfer points, the picked up loops are lifted from theneedles. This up and down motion takes place under the coni trol of arod 35 whose upper end is secured to shaft 311,

and whose lower end is pivotally connected by pivot 38 to a cam followerlever 36 which is mounted for rocking movement on a pivot 37 on wall 20,and carries a pin 39 on kwhich a cam follower roller 40 is turnablymounted.

The weight of the assembly including the lever 36,4

rod 35, shaft 31 and transfer means 22, 22a urges roller 40 intoengagement with one of two discs 42 and 43 which are secured to camshaft 41 adjacent each other. Disc 42 is circular, and disc 43 is a camhaving a contour best seen in FIG. 3.

While the narrowing heads are inoperative and in the position shown inFIG. `4, follower roller 40 is located on the circular disc 42 so thatthe narrowing heads22, 22a remain motionless in the highest position.When shaft 41 is shifted out of the position shown in FIG. 4 toward theright, follower roller 40 slides off circular disc 42 and onto theperipheral track of cam 43 so that the narrowing heads 22 and 22a are`moved up and down in accordance with the shape of cam 43. Shaft 41 ismounted in bearings of walls 20, 20a for 4axial movement, and is shiftedby the conventional manually 0perated means for rendering discs 42 and43 selectively operative depending on whether a narrowing operation isdesired or not.

Shaft 41 carries another -pair of cams 53 and 54 which control thehorizontal motion of the narrowing heads 22, 22a. In the position shownin FIG. 4, in which `disc 42 holds the narrowing heads in the highestinoperative position, cams 53 and 54 are inoperative since they are notengaged by a cam follower roller. However, when shaft 41 is manuallyshifted `to the position. in which cam 43 is operative to raise andlower the narrowing heads, cam 53 is shifted to a position cooperatingwith a cam follower roller 51 which is carried by the pivot 50 of adouble armed lever 47. Cam 53 controls theorie step movement of thenarrowing head for a needle distance T when the width of the fabric isto be diminished. Lever 47 is mounted on a stationary shaft 49 and isconnected at the upper end thereof by a pivot 48 to a control rod 46which carries a pivoted pawl 45 on the free end thereof.

Pawl 45 cooperates with a ratchet wheel 44 which is secured to a shaft29. Shaft 29 has opposite left and right threads 25 and 26 on which nuts27 and 28 are mounted. Arms 27a and 28a of nuts 27 and 28 arerespectively secured to the narrowing rods 23 and 24. When shaft 29 isturned, spindles 27 and 2 8 are moved in opposite directions, and movethe rods 23, 24 so that the narrowing heads 22 and 22a either move awayfrom each other, or toward each other depending on the direction ofrotation of shaft 29 and ratchet wheel 44. The pitch of the threads isselected so that each narrowing head 22, 22a is shifted one stepcorresponding to the distance between two adjacent needles when pawl 45turns ratchet wheel one step to engage the next following tooth of theratchet wheel. Spindle shaft 29 is secured against movement in axialdirection by bearings 34 which are mounted on the supporting shaft 31.

Cam 53 controls the movement of the assembly 51, 47, 46 in synchronismwith the up and down movement of the narrowing heads produced by cam 43so that both narrowing heads are shifted one step corresponding to theneedle distance T toward each other while the narrowing heads are raisedto a position in which the transfer points 21 are located aboveneedles 1. As explained above, this is accomplished by shifting ratchetwheel 45 by pawl 45 one step.

Cams 43 and 53 are simultaneously effective for reducing the width of afabric in the usual manner in a plurality of successive rows of loops.

In accordance with the present invention, an additional cam 54 issecured to shaft 41 for cooperation with cam follower roller 51.However, since shaft 41 of the standard machine cannot be shifted to aposition in which cam 54 cooperates with roller 51, means are providedin accordance with the present invention for shifting the cam followerroller 51 in axial direction. Roller 51 is mounted on a pivot pin 50 onlever 47 so as to be shiftable in axial direction, and has a hub portionformed with a peripheral annular groove 51a in which the forked endportions of a bell crank lever 52 are located. Lever 52 is mounted on astationary pivot 52e for turning movement and is operated by applicationof a force to the free lever arm 52a. The lever arm 52a is connected tocontrol means which are operated by the pattern chains of the machine,or by a manual operation, so that when an operation according to thepresent invention is to be carried out, roller 51 is shifted on pivot 50to a position cooperating with cam 54 if the same has been shifted tothe right as viewed -in FIG. 4 to a position in which cam 43 cooperateswith roller 40 torrender the narrowing heads operative. Lever 52 androller 51 are arrested in the operative position in the usual manner.

When the machine is to be operated in accordance with the invention, cam4'3 controls the vertical movements of the transfer means 22, 22a forpicking up and depositing loops, and cam 54 controls the horizontalmovements of the transfer heads required for transferring picked uploops one needle distance, and also for shifting the transfer meanswithout loops to new positions in which other loops are picked up, asexplained with reference to FIGS. 2a to 2d.

Cam 54 has two substantially diametrically arranged lugs 54a and 54C.When lug 54e engages roller 51, assembly 51, 47, 46 operates pawl 45 toshift ratchet wheel 44 and shaft 29 one step so that the transfer means22 and 22a respectively perform single steps toward each other fortransferring a group of picked up loops to the respective adjacentneedles.

After about half a revolution of shaft 41, lug 54a engages cam followerroller 51. This lug is higher than lug 54e so that lever 47 and rod 46are shifted a greater angle, determined by the shape of cam lug 54e andcorresponding to a shifting of the ratchet wheel 44 for several angularsteps. Cam lug 54a is angularly positioned in relation to the cam lug ofcam 43 so that the transfer heads are shifted several needle distancesunder the action of cam lug 54a, while cam 43 holds transfer means 22,22a in the highest position, and while the transfer points 21 carry noloops. After completion of the longer shifting movement produced by camlug 54a, cam 43 effects lowering of the transfer means 22, '22a so thatnew loops are picked up to be transferred one needle distance toadjacent needles under the control of cam lug 54C.

The shape of cam lugs 54a and 54e shown in FIG. 3 is designed to operatethe transfer means 22, 22a in the manner described with reference toFIGS. 2a and 2b.

When the method described with reference to FIGS. 2c and 2d is to becarried out, cam lug 54a must be designed to cause movement of thetransfer means 22, 22a away from each other, which is accomplished byreducing the height of the respective cam lug below the height of camlug 54C, and providing a ratchet drive which permits turning of theratchet wheel on shaft 29 in opposite directions.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofknitting machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in anarrangement for producing a composite knitted fabric including a ribbedportion and a plain portion and having parallel lateral edges due to theprovision of a smaller number of wales in the plain fabric portion thanin the ribbed fabric portion, it is not intended to be limited to thedetails shown, since various modifications and structural changes may bemade without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by -applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applicatioins without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims:

1. A composite knitted fabric of constant width, comprising a ribbedfabric portion composed of rib stitch loop rows of equal length, each ofsaid rows being formed of a predetermined number of ri-b stitch loops ofpredetermined size; a plain fabric portion composed of plain stitch looprows of the same equal length as said rib stitch loop rows of saidribbed fabric portion, each of said rows formed of a number of plainstitch loops smaller than said predetermined number of rib stitch loopsin each of said rib stitch loop rows, and of a size larger than saidpredetermined size of each of said rib stitch loops; and at least onetransition row of loops between said ribbed fabric portion and saidplain fabric portion having also said same equal length and including aplurality of double loops so as to reduce the number of loops from saidpredetermined number of rib stitch loops in said rib stitch loop rows ofsaid ribbed fabric portion to said smaller number of plain stitch loopsin said plain stitch loop rows of said plain fabric portion, wherebydespite the different size and the different number of loops in saidloop rows of said rib-bed and plain fabric portions, the overall widthof the composite fabric is maintained constant over its entire length.

2. A composite knitted fabric as claimed in claim 1 l 1 wherein saidtransition row includes a plurality of single loops between two doubleloops.

3. A composite knitted fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein said loopsof said transition row are inwardly slanted from either end of saidtransition row toward the center of the same.

4. A method of knitting a composite knitted fabric of constant widthcomposed of a ribbed portion and a plain portion, comprising the stepsof repeatedly knitting a predetermined number of rib stitch loops of apredetermined width to form a plurality of rib stitch loop rows of equallength; connecting to the last row of said rib stitch loop rows atransition row having a selected number of multiple loops so that saidtransition row is formed of a smaller num-ber of loops than saidpredetermined number; knitting to each of said loops of said transitionrow a plain stitch loop having a width so much wider than the width ofsaid rib stitch loops that the row of plain stitch loops which has saidsmaller number of plain stitch loops has the same length as said lengthof said rows of rib stitch loops; and knitting additional rows of plainstitch loops of said wider width to said row of plain stitch loops, saidadditional rows having said smaller number of loops and said lengthwhereby the width of said plain portion is the same as the width of saidribbed portion and the lwidth of said composite fabric is maintainedconstant over its entire length.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 comprising knitting said multipleloops as double loops spaced from the ends of the last row of rib stitchloops; and knitting a plurality of single loops between said doubleloops of said transition row.

6. A method of knitting a fabric of constant width composed of a ribbedportion having rib stitch loops of a predetermined width, and a plainportion having plain stitch loops of a greater width than saidpredetermined width, comprising the steps of knitting the ribbed portionon a row of pairs of horizontal and vertical needles having apredetermined number so that rib stitch rows having a predeterminedlength are formed; transferring the loops of said horizontal needles toother vertical needles alternating with said iirst mentioned verticalneedles to form a transition row; transferring at least one group ofloops of said transition row in one direction from a first group of saidvertical needles to a second group of said vertical needles to form adouble loop; transferring in said one direction another group of loopsof said transition row to a third group of said vertical needles to formanother loop in Said transition row; repeating the transferring ofgroups of loops of said transition row until a selected number of doubleloops and intermediate single loops is formed in said transition rowwhereby the number of loops in said transition row is reduced to asmaller number than said predetermined number; knitting to each of saidloops of said transition row a plain stitch loop having a width so muchWider than the width of the rib stitch loops of said ribbed portion thatsaid smaller numdetermined length of rib stitch rows; and knittingadditional rows of plain stitch loops of said wider width to said row ofplain stitch loops, said additional rows having said smaller number ofloops and said predetermined length whereby the width of said plainportion is the same as the width of said rib portion, and the width ofsaid fabric is maintained constant over its entire length.`

7. The method of knitting a fabric as claimed in claim 6 wherein thestep of transferring said one group of loops of said transition row iseffected by a group of transfer points for forming double loops; whereinsaid transfer points are shifted without loops a selected number ofneedle distances along said row of vertical needles; wherein saidtransfer points transfer another group of loops of the transition row toa third group of vertical needles to form new double loops; and whereinthe steps of transferring groups of loops of said transition row and ofshifting the transfer points without loops are repeated until theselected number of double loops is formed in said transition row.

8. The method claimed in claim 7 wherein said transfer points transferthe double loop formed during the rst transfer movement of said transferpoints during each consecutive transfer movement to another verticalneedle.

9. The method claimed in claim 7 including moving said transfer pointsin one direction and for the distance between adjacent needles whentransferring groups of loops of the transition row between groups ofvertical needles, and shifting said transfer points without loops in thesame direction a plurality of said needle distances along said row ofvertical needles before transferring another group of loops of saidtransition row.

10. The method of claim 7 including moving said transi fer points in onedirection and for the distance between adjacent needles during thetransfer of a group of loops of said transition row from one group ofvertical needles to another group of vertical needles; and shifting saidtransfer points without loops in the opposite direction a plurality ofsaid needle distances along said row of vertical needles beforetransfcrring another group of loops of said transition row.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,374 9/1906 Scott 66-199830,375 9/1906 Scott 66-199 869,986 11/1907 Scott 66--199 2,081,1855/1937 Schletter 66-89 2,237,602 4/1941 Howie 66-89 2,273,675 2/1942Verbeek 66-89 2,273,285 2/1942 Richter 66-89 MERVIN STEIN, PrimaryExaminer.

R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

